,
as it is a great shame that, when the season for the harvest is upon
us, it should be lost through lack of reapers.

_[In the margin of the preceding paragraph_:

Already provided for."]

The Indians of these Pintados Islands have by nature good dispositions
and abilities. I have learned by experience with some few, who were
brought up in our houses, from the time when they were children,
that if there were several seminaries where the education of the youth
might be carefully attended to, taking them out of the power of their
heathen parents, while still children (for the latter would give them
up willingly), inside of a few years there would be a very prosperous
Christian community in the sight of God and men. In my opinion there
is no more effective means to establish the faith firmly among these
barbarians than this.

Your Majesty would do a great service to our Lord by ordering that a
seminary for these people should be established. I believe that the
money which has been collected from the fourths, where there is no
instruction, might well be employed in this work. In all conscience,
it ought to be spent for the spiritual good of those Indians, as
your Majesty directed by your royal decree. And none will do so well
as this, which is the seed for all the rest. I have learned that,
in the royal buildings at Manila, fourteen or fifteen thousand pesos
are spent which are obtained from these fourths. From these and some
other funds which lie in the treasury and are every day accumulating,
several of the said seminaries might be well established.

[_In the margin of the preceding paragraph:_ "Have the papers brought
which relate to this."]

It is a great disadvantage for conversions to our holy faith, and
for the civilization of these same Indians, for them to be dispersed
like wild beasts among the mountains. It would be a great relief for
the burden on the royal conscience of your Majesty, if your ministers
should execute the order given by your Majesty to reduce this people
to settlements. As they now are, the labor of the ministers is
immense, and the results are small; and they are unable to establish
Christianity and civilization as they should. [46]

[_In the margin of the previous paragraph:_ "Write to Don Pedro
de Acuna that with the help of these fathers, with all possible
gentleness, and at the least cost, he shall see to it that the Indians
be thus reduced; and if there be any great difficulty o